How often do you mess-up?
Discussion
I'm just wondering how often people think they have cocked up? I've not done the IAM or Rospa tests, but have been interested in 'advanced driving' for some time and through taking my kids to the Under 17 CC got to understand the principles. The detail sometimes annoys me, but I like the ideas about observation and planning.
So when I'm driving and something happens that I don't expect and didn't see coming, I'm quite self-critical about it as I'd expect others interested in the subject to be.
So on the M1 this evening (and I'm on it a lot), I had moved into a gap in L2 from L3 with reasonable overspeed to the rest of the traffic in L2 when a lorry pulled into L2 in front of me and caused me to brake reasonably sharply. Nowhere near being an accident, but annoying that I hadn't anticipated the possibility. So I was cross that I had cocked-up.
So (and to the point at last), how often do you lot end up in circumstances where you feel you have not done as well as you could have...aka made a cock-up?
Just out of interest.
Bert
So when I'm driving and something happens that I don't expect and didn't see coming, I'm quite self-critical about it as I'd expect others interested in the subject to be.
So on the M1 this evening (and I'm on it a lot), I had moved into a gap in L2 from L3 with reasonable overspeed to the rest of the traffic in L2 when a lorry pulled into L2 in front of me and caused me to brake reasonably sharply. Nowhere near being an accident, but annoying that I hadn't anticipated the possibility. So I was cross that I had cocked-up.
So (and to the point at last), how often do you lot end up in circumstances where you feel you have not done as well as you could have...aka made a cock-up?
Just out of interest.
Bert
No, no, no. I am 100% self-aware!
Flumpo said:
It’s not the cock ups we are aware of that would be most interesting. It’s the ones when the driver doesn’t realise.
I dare say if we were all followed round for a day without knowing, then assessed by an expert many people would be shocked how bad their driving is.
I dare say if we were all followed round for a day without knowing, then assessed by an expert many people would be shocked how bad their driving is.
I'm always pretty nervous about overtakes into a queue of traffic as it were so I rarely do it. If there's not a clear gap to pull into I don't start the overtake. I was probably braver when I was younger with more bravado about pulling or if needed barging into a gap.
Bert
PS my thread title has been moderated!!
Bert
PS my thread title has been moderated!!
Had an epic failure on the M1 one evening last week. Was in L1 at about 60, going in to L2 to pass the lorries. L2 clear in front for miles and miles, but L3 full of cars and moving at about 70.
What did I do... I didn't clock the car making some serious progress in L2 as I pulled out. Not expecting the unexpected (although obviously should be expected) and not looking as well as I could of. Not even close to an accident, but I impeded the guy But then it gets worse. I complete the overtake with the guy who by now has been upgraded to a twonk in my view (can you see where this is going) sat right on my tail flashing and honking. I pull in, he goes past and pulls right across me into L1 in a most beautiful aggressive fashion. So.... (oh no) I flashed my lights.
Twonk instantly upgrades himself to see you next tuesday and hits the brakes in front of me. As I flashed I thought that was stupid! So I'm full on braking, ABS on, lorry blasting its horn right behind me. Lorry goes right into L2 and I go left on the hard shoulder, I just overlap Mr braker, he comes off the brakes and continues. Drives like a loony in and out of the traffic, weaving from lane to lane.
As I said, epic fail. Poor observation, predictable situation, lost my cool, fortunately no accident. Won't be doing that again in a while I hope.
Bert
What did I do... I didn't clock the car making some serious progress in L2 as I pulled out. Not expecting the unexpected (although obviously should be expected) and not looking as well as I could of. Not even close to an accident, but I impeded the guy But then it gets worse. I complete the overtake with the guy who by now has been upgraded to a twonk in my view (can you see where this is going) sat right on my tail flashing and honking. I pull in, he goes past and pulls right across me into L1 in a most beautiful aggressive fashion. So.... (oh no) I flashed my lights.
Twonk instantly upgrades himself to see you next tuesday and hits the brakes in front of me. As I flashed I thought that was stupid! So I'm full on braking, ABS on, lorry blasting its horn right behind me. Lorry goes right into L2 and I go left on the hard shoulder, I just overlap Mr braker, he comes off the brakes and continues. Drives like a loony in and out of the traffic, weaving from lane to lane.
As I said, epic fail. Poor observation, predictable situation, lost my cool, fortunately no accident. Won't be doing that again in a while I hope.
Bert
akirk said:
If you are posting this / your first post etc. - these are not really simple mistakes - they are quite major mistakes if you are not noticing a lorry moving / someone coming up in the lane into which you are moving...
You say here that you didn't look as well as you could have done - any form of looking would see a car in the lane next to you
In your first post you didn't see a lorry moving out in front of you - yet to move out in front of you it was probably already moving before you started to move as lorries move a little slower than cars...
both of those are pretty fundamental fails in driving and you are very lucky not to have been in an accident...
when you start to talk Advanced Driving - then it is about taking it a level above - so on a motorway I would expect and advanced driver to continually have a picture of everything in front and behind - way before making decisions to move - so the look before switching lanes becomes a confirmation - not the first point at which they check for traffic - based on that the Advanced Driver would have already noticed the car in the middle lane some distance away - would have noticed that the lorry was catching the vehicle in front and would need to move soon - so the advanced driver would be looking to add a layer on top in terms of observation and anticipation...
so, I would suggest that it may be worth going out for a spin with someone who can look at what you are doing - IAM / RoSPA could be really good at this - as mentioned above - AD is about adding contingency so that when you make a mistake you still have fall back and safety - if you are making these mistakes though you perhaps have no contingency and that is a risky place to be...
Summary to be clearer..You say here that you didn't look as well as you could have done - any form of looking would see a car in the lane next to you
In your first post you didn't see a lorry moving out in front of you - yet to move out in front of you it was probably already moving before you started to move as lorries move a little slower than cars...
both of those are pretty fundamental fails in driving and you are very lucky not to have been in an accident...
when you start to talk Advanced Driving - then it is about taking it a level above - so on a motorway I would expect and advanced driver to continually have a picture of everything in front and behind - way before making decisions to move - so the look before switching lanes becomes a confirmation - not the first point at which they check for traffic - based on that the Advanced Driver would have already noticed the car in the middle lane some distance away - would have noticed that the lorry was catching the vehicle in front and would need to move soon - so the advanced driver would be looking to add a layer on top in terms of observation and anticipation...
so, I would suggest that it may be worth going out for a spin with someone who can look at what you are doing - IAM / RoSPA could be really good at this - as mentioned above - AD is about adding contingency so that when you make a mistake you still have fall back and safety - if you are making these mistakes though you perhaps have no contingency and that is a risky place to be...
TL;DR
Inconvenienced loony overtaking in middle lane at high speed who proceeded to try and cause an accident by emergency stopping in front.
Edited by BertBert on Monday 28th January 19:51
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